Thursday, October 28, 2010

some of my life offline is dedicated to natural remedies, and to my work as a registered massage therapist. in the past several years i've been learning more about energy work, and simple applications in daily life.

this post on tapping the thymus is an expression of that simplicity - i do more than this, but it is a solid starting point especially as flu season creeps in.

the thymus is basically located in front of the heart, behind the sternum. on me, a heavy-chested mama, i take my four fingers (whichever hand you prefer), slightly curl them, and tap gently but firmly over the location of the thymus as in the picture below.

i do this for 30 seconds to a minute - sometimes several times a day - similar tapping to a slow heart beat.

so why tap the thymus?

in chinese/energy medicine it is seen as a way to give a boost to the immune system, provide a burst of energy...waking it up.
it's believed to work by causing vibrations across the sternum and into the thymus
the thymus is in many ways the heart of the immune system, seen as more important in childhood, fatty and atrophied by the time you are an adult. it is essential in the development of killer t cells...those amazing little internal infection fighters...our inner champions of wellness.
i figure that anything that can support the immune system and help me bring focus into myself is worth 30 seconds to a minute.